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THE WEST INDIES: 

BEING A DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLANDS, 

PROGRESS OF CHRISTIANITY, EDU- 
CATION, AND LIBERTY 

AMONG THE COLORED POPULATION GENERALLY. 




BY MMS. NANCY PRINCE. 



BOSTON: 

DOW & JACKSON, PRINTERS, 14 DEVONSHIRE ST. 

1841. 






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WEST INDIES. 

A denomination under which is comprehended a large 
chain of islands, extended in a curve from the Florida shore 
on the northern peninsula'of|America, to the Gulf of Vene- 
zuela on the southern. These islands belong to five Euro- 
pean powers, viz. Great Britian, Spain, France, Holland 
and Denmark. An inhabitant of New England can form 
no idea of the climate and the productions of these islands. 
Many of the particulars that are here mentioned, are pecu- 
liar to them all. 

The climate in all the West India Islands is nearly the 
^ame, allowing for those accidental differences, which the 
several situations and qualities of the lands themselves 
produce ; as they lie within the tropic of Cancer, and the 
sun often is almost at the meridian, over their heads, they 
are continually subjected to a heat that would be intolera- 
ble, but for the trade winds, which are so refreshing, as to 
enable the inhabitants to attend to their concerns, even un- 
der a noon-day sun : as the night advances, a breeze begins 
to be perceived, which blows smartly from the land, as it 
were, from the centre towards the sea, to all points of the 
compass at once. The rains make the only distinction of sea- 
sons in these islands. The trees are green the year round ; 
they have no cold, or frost ; our heaviest rains are but dews, 
comparatively : with them, floods of water are poured from 
the clouds. About May, the periodical rains from the 
South may be expected. After then the tropical summer 
in all its splendor. The nights are calm and serene, the 
moon shines more brightly than in New England, as do the 
planets, and the beautiful galaxy. From the middle of Au- 
gust to the end of September, the heat is most oppressive, 
the sea breeze is interrupted, and calms warn the inhabi- 
tants of the periodical rains ; which fall in torrents about 
the beginning of October. 



JAMAICA, 

The most considerable and valuable of the British West 
India Islands, lies between the 75th and the 79th degrees 
of west longitude from London, and between 17 and 18 
north latitude ; it is of an oval figure, 150 miles long, from 
East to West, and about 60 miles broad in the middle, con- 
taining 4,080,000 acres. An elevated ridge, called the Blue 
Mountains, runs lengthwise from East to West, whence 
numerous rivers take their rise on both sides. The year is 
distinguished into two seasons, wet and dry. The months 
of July, August and September are called the hurricane 
months. The best houses are generally built low, on ac- 
count of the hurricanes and earthquakes ; and the colored 
people's huts made of reeds, will hold only two or three 
persons. However pleasant the sun may rise, in a moment 
the scene may b@ changed, a violent storm will suddenly 
arise, attended with thunder and lightning, the rain falls in 
torrents, and the seas and rivers rise v/ith terrible destruc- 
tion. I witnessed this awful scene in June last at Kings- 
ton, the capital of Jamaica; the foundations of many houses 
were destroyed ; the waters, as they rushed from the moun- 
tains, brought with them the produce of the earth, large 
branches of trees, and their fruit together ; many persons 
were drownea endeavoring to reach their homes from their 
various occupations; those who reached their homes were 
often obliged to travel many miles out of their usual way. 
Many young children without a parent's care, were at this 
time destroyed. A poor old woman speaking of these 
calamities to the writer, thus expressed herself, " not so bad 
now as in the time of slavery, then God spoke very loud to 
Bucker (the white people) to let us go. Thank God, ever 
since that, they give us up, we go pray, and we have it 
not so bad like as before." I would recommend this poor 
woman's remark to the fair sons and daughters of Ameri- 
ca, the land of the pilgrims. '*' Then God spoke very loud." 
May these words be engraved on the post of every door; 
in this land of New England God speaks very loud, and 
while his judgments are in the earth, may the inhabitants 
^e.irn righteousness ! The mountains that intersect this Is- 
land seem composed of rocks thrown up by frequent earth- 



\- 



quakes or volcanoes. These rocks, though having little 
soil, are adorned with a great variety of beautiful trees, 
growing from the fissures, which are nourished by frequent 
rains, and flourish in perpetual spring. Erom these moun- 
tains flow a vast number of small rivers of pure water, 
which sometimes fall in cataracts, from stupenduous heights : 
these, with the brilliant verdure of the trees, form a most 
delightful landscape. Ridges of smaller mountains are on 
each side of this great chain; on these, cofTee grows in great 
abundance ; the valleys or plains between these ridges, are 
level beyond what is usually found in similar situations. 
The highest land in the I&land is Blue mountain Peak, 
7150 feet above the sea. The most extensive plain is 30 
miles long and 5 broad. Black river, in the Parish of St. 
Elizabeth, is the only one navigable ; flat-boats brmgdown 
produce from plantations, about 30 miles up the river. 
Along the coast, and on the plains the weather is very hot ;. 
but in the mountains, the air is pure and wholesome; the 
longest days, in Summer are about thirteen hours, and the 
shortest in winter about eleven. In the plains, are found 
several salt fountains, and in the mountains, not far from 
Spanish Town, is a hot bath of great medicinal virtues ; 
this gives relief in the complaint called the dry bowels mal- 
ady, which, excepting the bilious and yellow fevers, is one 
of the most terrible distempers of Jamaica. The general 
produce of this Island is sugar, rum, molasses, ginger, cot- 
ton, indigo, pimento,., cocoa^ coffees, several kinds of woods, 
and medicinal drugs. Fruits, are in great plenty, as oran- 
ges, lemons, shaddocks, citrons, pomegranates, pine-apples, 
melons, pompions^ guavas, and many others. Here are 
trees whose wood, when dry,isJncorruptible ; here is found 
the wild cinnamon tree, the mahogany, the cabbage, the 
palm, yielding an oil much esteemed for food and medicine. 
Here too is the soap tree, whose berries are useful in wash- 
ing. The p-lanlain is produced in Jamaica in abundance, 
and is one. of the most agreeable and nutritious vegetables" 
in the world : it grows about four feet in height, and the 
fruit grows in clusters, which is. filled with a luscious sweet 
pulp."^ The Banana is very similar to the plantain, but not 
so sweet. The w^hole Island is divided into three counties, 
Middlesex, Surry, and Cornwall, and these into six towns, 
twenty parishes^ and twenty-seven villages. 

This Island was originally part of the Spanish Empire 
in America^ but it w.as taken, by the English in 1656. 



6 

Cromwell had fitted out a squadron under Pennand Vena- 
bles, to reduce the Spanish Island of Hispaniola, but there 
this squadron was unsuccessful, and the commanders, of 
their own accord, to atone for this misfortune, made a de- 
scent on Jamaica, and having arrived at St. Jago, soon 
compelled the whole Island to surrender. Ever since, it 
has been subject to the English, and the government, next 
to that of Ireland, is the richest in the disposal of the crown. 
Point Royal was formerly the capital of Jamaica, it stood 
upon the point of a narrow neck of land, which towards the 
sea, forms part of the border of a very fine harbor of its 
own name. The conveniences of this harbor, which was 
capable of containing a thousand sail of large ships, and of 
such depth as to allow them to load and unload with the 
greatest ease, weighed so much with the inhabitants, that 
they chose to build their capital on this spot, although the 
place was a hot dry sand, and produced none of the neces- 
saries of life, not even fresh water. About the beginning 
of the year 1692, no place for its size could be compared 
to this town for trade, wealth, and an entire corruption of 
manners. In the month of June in this year, an earth- 
quake which shook the whole Island to the foundation, to- 
tally overwhelmed this city, so as to leave, in one quarter, 
not even the smallest vestige remaining. In two minutes 
the earth opened and swallowed up nine-tenths of the hous- 
es, and two thousand people. The waters gushed out 
from the openings of the earth, and tumbled the people on 
heaps : some of them had the good fortune to catch hold of 
beams and rafters of houses, and were afterwards saved by 
boats. Several ships were cast away in the harbor, and 
the Swan Frigate, which lay in the Dock, was carried over 
the tops of sinking houses, and did not overset, but afford- 
ed a retreat to some hundreds of people, who saved their 
lives upon her An officer who was in the town, at that 
time, says the earth opened and shut very quick in some 
places, and he saw several people sink down to the middle, 
and others appeared with their heads just above ground, 
and were squeezed to death. At Savannah above a thous- 
and acres were sunk with the houses and people in them, 
the places appearing, for some time, like a lake ; this was 
afterwards dried up, but no houses were seen. In some 
parts mountains were split, and at one place a plantation 
was removed to the distance of a mile. The inhabitants 
again rebuilt the city, but it was a second time, ten years 



after, destroyed by a great fire. The extraordinary conve- 
nience of the harbor tempted them to build it once more, 
and once more in 1722, it was laid in rubbish by a hurri- 
ricane, the most terrible on record. Suchjrepeated calami- 
ties seemed to mark out this spot as a devoted place ; the 
inhabitants therefore resolved to forsake it forever, and to 
reside at the opposite bay where they built Kingston, which 
is now the capital of the Island. In going up to Kingston, 
we pass over the part of and between Port Royal, leaving 
the mountains on the left, and a small town on the right. 
There are many handsome houses built there, one story 
high, with porticoes, and every convenience for those who 
are rich enough to live in them. Not far from Kingston 
stands Spanish Town, which though at present is inferior 
to Kingston, was once the capital of Jamaica, and is still 
the seat|of Government. On the 3d of October, 17S0, there 
was a dreadful hurricane, which overwhelmed the little 
sea-port town of Savannah la mer, in Jamaica, and part of 
the adjacent country : very few houses were left standing, 
and a great number of lives were lost, much damage was 
done also, and many lives lost in other parts of the Island. 
The same writer says, the misery and hardships' of the 
slaves were truly moving, the ill treatment which they re- 
ceived so shortened their lives, that there is no natural in- 
crease of their numbers ; many thousand are annually im- 
ported to supply the place of those who pine and die with 
the hardships which they receive. It is said, that they are 
stubborn, and must be ruled with a rod of iron : it must 
•be borne in mind, that their tyrants are themselves the 
dregs of the English nation, and the refuse of the "jails of 
Europe. In January, 1823, a Society was formed in Lon- 
don, for mitigating and gradually abolishing slavery, 
throughout the British dominions, called the Anti-Slavery 
Society. His Royal Highness, the Duke of Gloucester, was 
President of the Society, in the list of vice-presidents are 
the names of many of the most distinguished philanthro- 
pists of the day, and among them, that of the never to be 
forgotten Mr. Wilberforce ; as a bold champion, we see 
him going forward, pleading the cause of our down trod- 
den brethren. In the year 1834, it pleased God to break 
the chains from 800,000 human beings that had been held 
in a state of personal slavery; and this great event was ef- 
fected through the instrumentality of Clarkson, "Wilberforce, 
and other philanthropists of the day. The population of 



9 

Jamaica is nearly 400,000, that of Kingston, the capital, 
40,000. There are many places of worship of various de- 
nominations, namely, church of England, and of Scotland, 
Wesl^yan, the Baptists and Roman Catholics, besides a 
Jewish Synagogue. These all differ from those in New 
England, and from those I have seen elsewhere. The 
Baptists hold what they call class-meetings. The)'' have 
men and women, deacons and deaconesses in these church- 
es ; these hold separate class-meetings, some of these can 
read and some cannot. These are the persons who hold 
the office of judges,- and go round and urge the people to 
come at the class, and after they come in twice or three 
times they are considered candidates for baptism. Some 
pay fifty cents, and some more, for being baptized. The 
churches take nothing after they are baptized, they receive 
a ticket as a pasport into the church, paying one mark, a 
quarter, or more, and some less, but nothing short of ten- 
pence, th'at is, two English shillings a year. They must 
attend their class once a week, and pay three pence a week, 
total twelve English shillings a year, besides the suras 
they pay once a month at communion, after service in the 
morning. On those occasions the minister retires, and the 
deacons examine the people to ascertain if each one has 
brought a ticket, if not, they. cannot commune; after this, 
the minister returns and performs the ceremony, then they 
give their- moaey, and go. The churches are very large, 
holding from four to six thousand, many bring wood and 
other presents to their class-leader as a token of their at- 
tachment'; where there are so many communicants, these 
presents, and the money exacted, must greatly enrich these 
establishments. I know two who have left their homes to 
live with tlieir class leaders, in order to have her prayers; 
most of'the conamunicants are so ignorant of the ordinance 
that they join the church merely to have a decent burial; 
for if they are not members none will follow them., to the 
grave, no prayers will be said over them ; these are borne 
through the streets by four men, the coffin a rough box ; 
not so if the,y are church members; as soon as the news 
spreads that one is dying, all the class with their leader will 
assemble at the place, and join in singing hymns; this, 
they say, is to help the spirit up to glory; this exercise- 
sometimes continues all night, in so loud a strain, that it is 
seldom that any can sleep in the neighborhood. — The next 
day they bury their dead, the corpse is borne by four bear- 



9 

ers, some of the deacons preceding", and a great company 
of men and women following, the women first, dressed in 
white, with a strip of white cotton bound round the head, 
and falling to the ground. After they have buried their 
dead, the company return to the house and have a regular 
wake : they believe the spirit of the deceased is present 
with them for nine days, and they leave a place for them 
at the table, and pay them all the attention they give to 
the visible guests. 

There is in Jamaica an institution, established in 1836, 
and called the Mico Institution ; it is named after its foun- 
der, Madame Mico, who left a large sum of money to pur- 
chase, (or rather to ransom, the one being a Christian 
act, the other a sin against the Holy Ghost, who expressly 
forbids such traffic ;) thus having corrected myself, I willfre- 
sume. Madame Mico left this money to ransom the Eng- 
lish who were in bondage to the Algerines ; if there were 
any left, it was to be devoted to the instruction of the col- 
ored people in the British Islands ; at this institution, six 
adults, men and women, are prepared for teachers. Whole 
number taught since the commencement 485 — there is a 
day school for children, 29 is the regular number-^— whole 
number 2,491 — Sabbath Schools 9, whole number taught 
6,654 — the adults and the Sunday scholars have to pay one 
Mack a month. Besides the Mico establishment, |there 
are in Jamaica 27 Church Missionary Schools, where 
2,461 children are taught gratis. Adult schools, 5 — whole 
number taught, 475. Sabbath Schools 14 — whole number 
laugh, 1,952. London Missionary Society Schools, 16 — 
whole number taught not ascertained. National Schools, 
38 — whole number taught, 2,500. 

The Wesleyanj Presbyterian and Moravian schools, be- 
sides these ; it is supposed there are private schools where 
three or four thousand are educated inthe^city of Kingston, 
and tv^ice that number in the streets, without the means of 
education. All the children and adults taught in the above 
named schools, are taxed £ 1 a year, except^e English 
Church school, this is the most liberal. Th^ Rev. Mr. 
Horton, a Baptist minister in Kingston, told me he had sent 
90 children away from the Baptist school, because they 
did not bring their money. It is sufficient to say they had 
it not to bring ! 

Most of the people of Jamaica are emancipated slaves, 
many of them are old, worn out, and degraded. Those 



10 

who are able to work, have yet many obstacles to contend 
with, and very little to encourage them ; every advantage is 
taken of their ignorance ,' the same spirit of cruelty is op- 
posed to them as held them for centuries in bondage ; even 
religious teaching is bartered for their hard earnings, 
while they are allowed but 83 cents a day, and are told if 
they will not work for that> they shall not work at all ; an 
extortionary price is asked of them for every thing they 
may wish to purchase, even their Bibles are sold to them at 
a large advance on the first purchase. Where are their 
apologists, if they are found wanting in the strict morals 
that Christians ought to practice ? Who kindly says for- 
give them when they err ? '* forgive them, this is the bitter 
fruit of slavery." Who has integrity sufficient to hold 
the balance when ihese poor people are to be weighed ? 
Yet their present state is blissful compared with slavery. 
Many of the farmers bring their produce twenty or thirty 
miles. Some have horses or poneys, but most of them 
bring their burdens on their heads. As I returned from 
St. Andrews mountain, where I had been sent for by a Mr. 
Rose, I was overtaken by a respectable looking man, on 
horseback ; we rode about ten miles in company. The sto- 
ry he told me of the wrongs he and his wife had endured 
while in slavery, are too horrible to narrate. My heart 
sickens when I think of it. He asked me many questions, 
such as where I came from? why 1 came to that Island ? 
where had I lived ? &c. — I told him I was sent for by one 
of the missionaries to help him in his school. Indeed, said 
he, our color need the instruction. I asked him why the 
colored people did not hire themselves ?--^we would be very 
glad to, he replied, but our money is taken from us so fast 
we cannot. Sometimes they say we must all bring 1 <£ ; to 
raise this, we have to sell at a loss, or to borrow, so that we 
have nothing left for ourselves, the macaroon hunters take 
all — this is a nickname they give the missionaries and the 
class-leaders — a cutting sarcasm this ! Arrived at a tav- 
ern aboutymile from Kingston, I bade the man adieu, and 
stopped for my guide. The inn-keeper kindly invited me 
in. He asked me several questions. I asked him as ma- 
ny. How do the people get along said I, since the eman- 
cipation ? The negroes, he replied, will have the Island in 
spite of the devil. Do not you see how they live, and how 
much they can bear? we cannot do so. This man was 
an Engiishman, with a large family of mulatto children. 



11 

In May, llie 18th, I attended the Baptbt missionary meet- 
ing in Queen St. Chapel. The house was crowded, Sev* 
«ral ministers spoke of the importance of sending the gos^ 
pel to Africa ; they complimented the congregation on their 
liberality the last year, when they gave one hundred pounds 
sterling; they hoped this year they would give five hun- 
dred pounds, as there were five thousand members at the 
present time. There was but one colored minister on the 
stand. It is generally th-e policy of these missionaries to 
have ihe sanction of colored ministers, to all their asses- 
ments and taxes. The colored people give more readily, 
and are less suspicious of imposition, if one from themselves 
recommends the measure. This the missionaries under- 
stand very well, and know how to take advantage of it. 
Wednesday, June 22d and 23d, the colored Baptists held 
their missionary meeting, the number of ministers, colored 
and mulattofis was 18, the colored magistrates were present* 
The resolutions that were offered were unanimously ac- 
cepted, and every thing was done in love and harmony. — 
After taking up a contribution, they concluded with song 
and prayer, and returned home, sayingjocosely, they would 
turn macaroon hunters.— Mack is the name of a small coin 
in circulatiou at Jamaica. I called^ on my return, at the 
market and counted the different stalls. For vegetables and 
poultry, 196, all numbered, and under cover ; besides 70 on 
the ground. These are all attended by colored women. 
The market is conveniejitly arranged, as they can close the 
gates and leave all safe. There are 19 stalls for fresh 
fish, 18 for pork, .30 for beef, 18 for turtle. These are all 
regular built markets, and all kept by colored men and wo- 
men. These are all in one place. Besides, others may 
be found, as with -us, all over the city. Thus it may be 
hoped, they are not the lying, stupid set of beings they 
have been called, but are enterprising and quick in their 
perceptions, determined to possess themselves, and to pos- 
sess property besides, and quite able to take care of them- 
selves. They wished to know why I was so inquisitive 
about them, I told them we have heard in America that 
you are lazy, and that emancipation has been no benefit to 
you ; I wish to inform myself of the truth respecting you, 
and give a true representation of you on my return. Arn I 
right ? More than two hundred people were around me lis- 
itening to what I said. They thanked me heartily, I gave 
ihsm som£ tracts, and told them if it so pleased God, I 



would come back to them, and bring them some more 
books, and try what could be done with some of the poor 
children to make them better. I then left them, and went 
to the East market, where there are thousands of all kinds 
and nations. The Jews and Spanish looked at me very 
black. The colored people gathered around me, I gave 
them little books and tracts, and told them I hoped to see 
them again. 

There are in this street upwards of a thousand, young 
women and children, living in sin of every kind. From 
thence, I went to the goal, where were 17 men, but no wo- 
men — in the house of correction were three hundred cuU 
prits. They are taken from there to work on plantations. 
Then I went to the admiral's house, where the emigrants 
find a shelter until they can find employment, then 
they work and pay for their passage. Many leave their 
homes and come to Jamaica, under the impression that 
they are to have their passage fre?, and, on reaching the 
Island, are to be faund until they can provide for them-^ 
selves. How the mistake originated, I am not able to say, 
but on arriving here, strangers, poor, and unacclimatcd, the 
debt for passage-money is hard and unexpected ; it is re- 
markable that wherever they come from, whether fresh 
from Africa, from the other Islands, from the South or 
from New England, they all feel deceived on this point. 
I called on many Americans and found them poor and dis- 
contented, rueing the day they left their country, where, 
notwithstanding many obstacles, their parents had lived and 
died, which they had helped to conquer with their toil and 
blood 

" Now shall their children stray abroad and starve in 
foreign lands." — I left America November 16th, 1840, in 
the ship Scion, Captain Mansfield, bound for Jamaica, 
freighted with ice and machinery for the silk factory. 
There were on board a number of handicraft-men and oth-' 
er passengers. We sailed on Monday afternoon, from 
Charlestown, Mass. It rained continually until Saturday. 
Sunday the 23d was a fine day. Mr. De Grass, a young 
colored clergyman, was invited to perform divine service, 
which he did with much propriety ; he spoke of the dangers 
we had escaped, and the importance of being prepared to 
meet our God, (he died of fever about three weeks after ar-» 
riving at Jamaica,) some who were able to attend came on 
deck and listened to him with respectj while Qthers seemed 



13 

to look on in derision ; these spent the afternoon and even- 
ing in card-playing. About twelve at night, a storm com- 
menced ; on Monday we were in great peril ; the storm con- 
tinued until Friday the 27lh. On that day a sail was seen 
at some distance making towards us, the captain judging 
her to be a piratical vessel, ordered the women and chil- 
dren below, and the men to prepare for action — the pirates 
were not inclined to hazardan engagement ; when they saw 
the deck filled with armed men they left us. Thus were 
we preserved from the storm and from the enemy. Sab- 
bath, 29th, divine service, our attention was directed to the 
goodness of God in sparing us. 

Monday,— and are we mortals still alive. Tuesday, — 
Thus far the Lord has led us on. Wednesday. — Thus far 
his power prolongs our days. Thursday — December 3d, 
to-day made Turks Island. Friday. — this day had a view 
of Hayti, its lofty mountains presented a sublime prospect. 
Saturday — a glanct we had of Cuba. Sunday — December 
6th, at six o'clock in the evening, dropped anchor at Sf 
Anne harbor Jamaica. We blessed the Lord for his good- 
ness, in sparing us to seethe place of our destination; and 
here I will mention my object in visiting Jamaica. I hoped 
that 1 might aid (in some small degree) to raise up and en- 
courage the emancipated inhabitants, and teach the young 
children to read and work, to fear God and put their trust 
in their Savior. Mr. Whitmarsh and his friend c^ne on 
board and welcomed us. On Tuesday we went on shore 
to see the place and the people ; my intention had been to 
go directly to Kingston, but the people urged me so to stay 
with them that I thought it my duty to comply, and wrote 
to Mr. Ingraham to that effect. I went first to see the min-i 
ister, Mr. Abbot, thought, as he was out, I had better wait 
his return. The people promised to pay me for my ser- 
vices for them, or to send me to Kingston. When Mr. Ab- 
bot returned he made me an offer I readily accepted. — As I 
lodged in the house of one of the class-leaders, I attended 
her class a few times, when I learned the method, I stopped. 
She then commenced her authority, and gave me to under- 
stand if I did not comply, I should not have any pay from 
that society. I spoke to her of the necessity of being born 
of the spirit of God, before we became members of the 
church of Christ, and told her I was sorry to see the peo- 
ple blinded iii such a way. She was very angry with me, 
2 



14 

and soon accomplished her end, by complaining of me to the 
minister, and I soon found I was to be dismissed, unless I 
would yield obedience to this class-leader. I told the min- 
ister that I did not come there to be guided by a poor fool- 
ish woman. He then told me that I had spoken something 
about the necessity of moral conduct in church members. 
I told him I had, and in my opinion I was sorry to see it so 
much neglected. He replied, that he hoped I would not 
express myself so except to him ; they have the gospel, he 
continued, andlet them come into the church. I do not ap- 
prove of women societies; those destroyed the world's con- 
vention ; the American women have too many of them. 
We talked one hour. He paid me for the time I had 
been there; I continued tilLTan. withihe same opinion that 
something must be done for the elevation of the childrenj 
and it is for that I labor. On the Sabbath the minister 
from the pulpit spoke unkindly of me. Ihis was in Janu- 
ary. I am sorry to say the meeting house is more like a 
play house, than & place of worship. The pulpit stands 
about the middle of the building, behind are about six hun- 
dred children that belong to the society ; there they are 
placed for Sabbath School, and there they remain until ser- 
vice is over, playing all the time. The house is crowded 
with the aged and the young, the most part of them bare- 
footed. L Some have on bonnets, but most of the women 
wear ^fc'-v hats such as our men wear. I gave several 
Bibles fway, not knowing that I was hurting the ministers- 
sale, the people buy them of him at a great advance. I 
gave up my school at St. Ann, and on the ISih of March 
departed for Kingston, but took the fever and was obliged 
to remain until the 7ih of April. The people of St. Ann 
fulfilled their promise which they made, to induce me to 
stop with them — on the 11th of April I arrived at Kingston^ 
and was conducted to the Mico institution, where Mr. In- 
graham directed me to find him ; he had lost his pulpit and 
his school, bat Mr Venning the teacher kindly received me. 
I stayed there longer than 1 expected ; the next morning he 
kindly sent one of the young men with me to the packet 
for my baggage. I then called on the American Consul, 
he told me he was very glad to see me for such a purpose 
as I had in view in visiting Jamaica, but he said it was a 
folly for the Americans to come to the Island to better their 
condition; he said they came to him everyday praying him 
to send them home. He likewise mentioned to me the 



15 

great mortality amongst the emigrants. This same day I 

saw Mr. one of our missionaries, who wished me 

to accompany him forty miles into the interior of the coun- 
try. This same day I saw Mr Henshaw. On Saturday 
the 17lh I received a letter from Fem Hill, in the county 
of St. Andrews, to come and assist Mr. Ross in one of the 
Mico schools ; they sent for me and I went to see them, but 
took no part in the school. I saw Mr. Henshaw there. 
The day he left Jamaica for the United States, I begged him 
to tell the colored people of America not to go to Jamaica, 
for they would find themselves deceived. After a week I 
returned to Kingston with my mind fully settled what to 
do. I spent three weeks at the Mico establishment, and 
three weeks with ra}'' colored friends from America. On 
the 21st of April, I called to see Mr. Horton, a minister. 
He was much surprised to see me, and had much to say 
about my color, and showed much commiseration for my 
misfortune at being so black. My personal narrative I 
have placed last in this pamphlet, as of least consequence. 
I flatter myself my voyage to Jamaica has not been in vain. 
A door of usefulness seems opened to me there, with a zeal- 
ous friend. And with the aid of the benevolent, I propose 
to establish at Kingston, or in the vicinity, an assylum for 
the orphan and the out-cast, where they may be 
without money and without price. To elfect this 
returned to this country to solicit aid, and trust I 
ask in vain. The colored people of these Unit 
are induced to remove to Jamaica, in consequence ot tne j 
flattering offers made to them, to induce them to emigrate. " | 
Since my return they have been inquisitive to learn fronl\iJP 
me something respecting the place, and the people I have •' 
been among. For these inquiries I have written this book, ; 
that they may have the advantage of what information I j 
have collected, and knowing the truth, they may no longer 
be deceived. NANCY PRINCE. 1 




Note. On page 9, line 21, it is said that there are six adults 
preparing for teachers in the Mico institution ; it should have 
said 15 ; and that the whole number of teachers so prepared is 
4S5— but the number is not really known. In this institution 
none are received ex#t ftiey^an read and write and bring 
good recommendationl^^' 'ijxei^ piety. A number have tinisn- 
ed, and are teachers in different parts of the Island. 



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